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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · pitch · foot · stand · lash · march · game · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. march — music
  6. game — a match
  7. march — the month
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com